The Cardinal’s Nest convenience store, which had been in University Tower Apartments, reopened Feb. 28 in Louisville Hall with an expanded selection of organic and fresh foods. The store added about 300 square feet and a new line of natural and organic products from United Natural Foods Inc., a leading independent distributor of such foods and related products in the United States. A kiosk at the Cardinal’s Nest features fresh produce.
The changes were a combined effort of Student Government Association, Campus Health Services (CHS), Housing and Residence Life, Sodexo and the Office of Business Affairs.
CHS and Sodexo have been working together since fall on the Basic Pantry program, which offers students recipes for healthy meals, in which all of the ingredients can be purchased on campus. The program teaches students how to stock their own pantries and to prepare meals from scratch.
I am thrilled by students’ response to the Basic Pantry and to their patronage of the newly expanded Cardinal’s Nest, said Karen Newton, director of health promotion and education for CHS. It demonstrates that we do, indeed, have many students who care about their health, want to eat nutrient-dense foods and really want to learn how to prepare their own meals.
It’s so important to have fresh foods on campus so students can have healthy options, gain confidence with cooking skills, prepare ‘non-restaurantized’ meals and learn to enjoy unfamiliar foods – like vegetables! This is a huge part of building a campus community that values health.
The Cardinal’s Nest is open Monday through Thursday, 7:30 a.m.-11 p.m.; Friday, 7:30 a.m.-7 p.m.; Saturday, 11 a.m.-7 p.m.; and Sunday, 11 a.m.-11 p.m.